Back in 2012, I wrote a story for BJJ Legends magazine about promoting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Moldova. (Brazilian Jiu-Jitus in Burlacu Moldova) At the time I was trying to drum up support both in and outside of the country: creating awareness among foreigners that the country even existed, while trying to convince Moldovans that training and teaching BJJ could potentially help to open an innumerable amount of doors for them. By now, I have completely worked myself out of a job… and I couldn’t be happier!

You see, the whole idea of non-profit work is to eventually work yourself out of a job. Think about it; if you run a non-profit aiming to defeat poverty, and poverty is defeated, why go to the office anymore? Even if you run a non-profit that is a labor union or something, you would hypothetically not need to be employed anymore if everyone was getting their fair share at their jobs. Of course, we can all think of exceptions to this idea, but it is otherwise a good rule of thumb when seeking to work with or donate to non-profit organizations.

A lot has happened since 2012. In addition to no longer having much work in regards to “the Moldova Project”, my wife and I have also moved back to the US, bought some property and opened a new gym with a new goal in mind. More on that later, but first let me tell you how BJJ has evolved over the years in Moldova into what it has become today.

In 2011 we were blessed to have received some international attention to our program via Christian Graugart, the original BJJ Globetrotter, and his around-the-world BJJ adventure. Shortly after his visit, some traditional martial artists decided to open their own BJJ gym in the capital of Chisinau. This was a very important step in the process as time itself stops and starts in Chisinau for most Moldovans. I knew that once this happened, the spread of Jiu-Jitsu throughout the country would be inevitable.

Around the same time, a team from a mid-sized town in the south of Moldova decided to take up the Brazilian variety of Jiu-Jitsu in addition to their own version of martial arts. Led by the charismatic former member of Soviet special forces, Sergiu Dobrea, team Se-An-Do continues to have one of the largest youth programs in the country. They’re a considerable force to be reckoned with in a myriad of fighting sports in Moldova.

So now, with these three core teams in place, one of my former students and I decided to host a tournament. We decided to try a new tournament format loosely based on a classic collegiate-style wrestling competition: the dual. Basically, there are around 10 weight classes, and each team chooses their best fighter for each weight class. With three existing teams in Moldova now, the “Burlacu Tri-Duals” was born.

I had some really high hopes for this new idea of mine. Unfortunately, the annual tournament was plagued from the beginning. The first year the Chisinau team bailed at the last minute, so we just had 2 teams competing against each other. The second-year Se-An-Do wasn’t able to participate but luckily a newly-formed team also from the southern region was able to take their place. The third year the format was scrapped and a more traditional (and from my point of view, boring) format was adopted. Thus, the “Burlacu Tri-Duals” became the “Burlacu Open” tournament. By this time, I was just a supporting figure; my former student, Alexandru Birlea, took over the reins almost completely, and I’m happy to say that he did a really great job!

Over time, other teams threw their hats into the promotional ring and a whole slew of other BJJ competitions were held in the south of the country as well as the capital. There was the Moldova Cup, the Moldovan BJJ Championships as well as ADCC Moldova, just to name a few. By the time I left the area in 2014, there were no less than eight teams training Jiu-Jitsu across the country. I have no idea how many are training now, but Jiu-Jitsu is thankfully becoming more common in Moldova, and more importantly, it is completely sustainable! Moldovans are running their own gyms, their own tournaments and are buying and selling their own equipment. I’ll occasionally get a box or two of used gis together for kids who otherwise can’t afford a new one, but this has proven to be more of a hassle than what it’s worth for both parties involved. So, really, this is a great thing!

From 2006 when I started the first BJJ program in the country, to 2014 when I left Eastern Europe, presumably for good, I definitely missed out on a good deal of training opportunities, tournaments, promotions and all the other cool stuff you get along with taking the more traditional route of training with one team. On the other hand, I’m proud to say that one of my first students, Alexandru Birlea, is ranked higher than me in BJJ, he can beat my ass, and he’s also the head BJJ coach for a UFC fighter. Not bad for a poor kid from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere in a country that nobody has heard of! I’m obviously super proud of him, his accomplishments as well as the accomplishments of so many others like him. But, of course, I’ve checked my ego at the beginning of this article, so enough bragging from me for now ;).

The Open Source Project

As we gradually became more and more hands-off with the Moldova program, my wife and I had been looking for the next step in our lives. When we moved back from Eastern Europe in 2014, our goal was to learn a bit of the hospitality business and then eventually go into business for ourselves. Over the years we really had a lot of fun both hosting guests at our little apartment in Bucharest, as well as being hosted by a multitude of people, mostly in Moldova and Romania. If there’s one thing that Romanians and Moldovans typically do very well, it’s hospitality, so we took our ideas with us and moved to Texas.

We lived in Pharr, Texas for about a year and a half, and while we were there, we worked at an RV resort in part to get back into the swing of things in the US as well as test the waters to see if we really wanted to go into hospitality. The job paid horribly, but luckily I was able to teach fundamental BJJ at Carlos Diego Ferreira’s gym in Pharr, in exchange for training time with the team. I credit Team Ferreira with helping me to love training Jiu-Jitsu again and to finally make the transition from just being a wrestler who happened to do Jiu-Jitsu, to a full-fledged BJJ fighter.

Our next move was to Gunnison, Colorado. We worked at a motel cleaning rooms part-time during the day, and I would train and/or teach at Gunnison BJJ in the evenings. Cleaning rooms and doing yard work at the motel was surprisingly a very positive experience; I was finally able to work with my hands, which I found to be very personally fulfilling, and then I would train BJJ on my off time. There wasn’t a lot of consistent structure at the gym, so I was able to teach myself most of the new-school moves and concepts that I had missed out on while I was out in the middle of nowhere. While I’ll probably never berimbolo anybody, I have grown to have an affinity for the leg lasso and I’m even able to invert when appropriate.

Unfortunately, I have a bad hip and had to undergo hip surgery in November of 2016. I was on crutches for a good 3 months, which gave my other joints, ribs and back a good amount of time to heal as well. My wife and I spent 2 of these months traveling east from Gunnison, and all the way down the coast to Key West. Our new mission was to find an affordable piece of property with which to start our business. The business would include both Jiu-Jitsu and hospitality, all wrapped up in one somehow.

On our way out to the coast we decided to stop through Asheville, NC just to see what was there. We found the perfect property for sale that was in our price range, and after wandering the coast for a couple months, not really finding anything that compared to this property in Asheville, we returned to Appalachia and put a bid on the property. The bid was eventually accepted and now we have a gym as well as over two acres of future campground!

Building the mats 1Building the mats 2BJJ Guest Hostel

Now, here’s how I came up with the concept of Open Source Jiu-Jitsu. During my time away from BJJ and from work, I decided to formalize the fundamental Jiu-Jitsu that I had been teaching all of these years by writing a curriculum. The curriculum is 10-weeks long and is designed to continuously rotate through every 10 weeks. This way, if you show up and start training in the middle of the curriculum, you will see the same technique again in ten weeks. Furthermore, as most of us know, drilling and tightening up our fundamentals is never a bad idea, so we encourage our students to go through the curriculum more than once.

All of our fundamentals classes, which utilize the curriculum, are “pay-what-you-want”. This way, even the poorest of BJJ students can train Jiu-Jitsu and save their dignity. It’s just one more heavily-utilized excuse not to train Jiu-Jitsu, that has been taken off the table completely. I’ve never even made $30,000 in a year in my whole entire life, and the last time I even came close was 2009. I’ve frequently been in the position where I had to ask an instructor if I could clean mats or teach in exchange for training time, and that can really wear on your morale over time.

We have a contributions box in our gym where our students are welcome to give a suggested donation of between $10 and $20 per lesson… or not! The box is usually behind me while I’m teaching and interacting with students, so I have no idea who’s paying and who isn’t. This way it prevents me from holding grudges against non-payers or favoring paying students.

Another component of “the Open Source model”, is that I am not the only one giving instruction all the time. If I happen to be the best-qualified teacher on a given subject, then I’ll do the teaching in this circumstance. However, if we happen to have a high-level wrestler in the room, for example, it makes more sense to have that person teaching takedowns, assuming that they are good at communicating their knowledge to others.

Sustainability and the Future of Open Source Jiu-Jitsu

While Open Source Jiu-Jitsu is, in fact, a for-profit LLC, our goals haven’t changed much since the Moldova Project. We want people to feel empowered, and to improve their lives as well as the lives of others through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We want to produce high-quality teachers, athletes and overall high-quality people at our gym, and we don’t want money or a lack thereof to be an issue that gets in the way of training Jiu-Jitsu.

Furthermore, we aim to have the above-mentioned teachers and otherwise good people run the program in the future. As long as we are paying the bills and continue to maintain high-quality BJJ and other programs, we want others to be able to thrive in this environment and basically run the gym with minimal oversight in order to reach their goals.

Asheville Open Source Team

We’re also hoping that this idea spreads and that other gyms see the value of adding a similar program to their existing structure. We’re convinced that after seeing how successful the program is here at Open Source Jiu-Jitsu, that other gyms will see that you are in fact able to run a profitable business and offer “pay-what-you-want” classes, or something similar, at the same time.

We also want to invite established, high-level grapplers to come not only to see Asheville but to be a part of what we have going on here. The campground and the gym being in the same location is like a match made in heaven. While we regularly take in wandering grapplers into our home, we’re only going to be adding more options around the property where folks can chill out, see the sights and get some rolls in. Our vision is that some folks will be able to stay a couple weeks or even months, turning this into a true open source project.

Special thanks to my wife and business partner, Amanda McMasters, and to the countless others who have helped me so far along the way during this epic jiu-jitsu journey of mine.

Until then, thank you, dear reader, for having read all of this. If you ever happen to be in Asheville and would like to see what we have going on here… perhaps even guest teach a class, please feel free to contact us at bobby at opensourcebjj.net. Hope to see you on the mats!

If you are serious about protecting your knees during your BJJ training, then the NeverTap Knee Guard has you covered.

Introducing theNevertap Knee Guard, designed to protect and reinforce your knees during the most grueling training and competition, without reducing mobility and effectiveness.

You have spent countless hours on the mat. Bumps, bruises, scratches, blisters, broken fingers - you have had them all. But none of them have stopped you from getting back out there. You are not weak. You will not let these minor setbacks get in the way of progress. But then one wrong move and you hear a dreaded pop in your knee followed by severe pain. You’ve torn your MCL and may need to take months off from training. The NeverTap Knee Guard aims to reduce the likelihood of moments such as this.

The Nevertap Knee Guard has declared war on knee injuries. As the only product specifically designed to support the knees of BJJ practitioners day-in and day-out, it is quickly becoming a top choice among Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes who are looking for a superior level of knee protection. Made with military-grade nylon springs and industrial strength latex padding, the Nevertap Knee Guard ensures natural joint movement and provides superior protection.

Go to nevertapknees.com to join the crusade against knee injuries. At only $29.95 with a money-back guarantee, there’s no reason to wait any longer! Get yours today.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an ever-growing Martial Arts discipline practiced and taught worldwide. Cruising through any big city or small town chances are you will find a BJJ academy, as its presence aims to make a positive difference in the community and on its dwelling citizens. In the Lake County area of Illinois one academy and instructor is doing just that.

Fit 2 Defend has become a booming Martial Arts academy. Offering classes in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Submission Wrestling, Hand to Hand Combat, and Kickboxing Fit 2 Defend provides the best service assisting students in self-defense, character development, and leadership training.

The owner and head instructor of "Fit 2 Defend" is Coach Scott Gave.

Who is Scott Gave?

For over two decades Scott Gave has dedicated his entire life to Martial Arts, transforming him into the man he is today. To assist with building confidence, Gave's Martial Arts journey began at the age of 12, training out of the Chicago Karate Academy in the practiced field of Taekwondo. Evolving in skill and character, it wouldn't be long before the now TKD black belt found himself in a leadership position as an assistant instructor at the age of 15, which later progressed to the position of head instructor two years later.

Eager to learn more his journey would take him to Northshore Academy (NSA), as he would continue his Martial Art studies and take on his newly hired role as the head instructor of their youth program. At NSA Gave would be exposed to a variety of Martial Art systems ranging from Jeet Kune Do, Kali, to Shooto Wrestling. It was also there where he would be introduced to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu by Scott Goddard in 2008, all while teaching and taking care of his family.

At this point in time Gave had gained vast expert knowledge in various Martial Art disciplines, helping businesses grow, trained with some of the best instructors in the Midwest, and made a positive influence in student’s lives. All of this experience would prove to be a great asset in his next life challenge. After a ten year venture at NSA, Gave was ready to make his next move, which found him fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening his own Martial Arts academy, "Fit 2 Defend” on June of 2015.

BJJ Legends: How did the making of "Fit 2 Defend" come about?

Scott Gave: After spending 10 years at Northshore Academy, it was time again for me to make a change. I found a “Core Martial Art & Fitness (TKD School) that offered me the opportunity to implement my business model and program into their studio. I took on this opportunity, while continuing to teach a few classes at Krav Maga studio and work a morning factory job. I worked 14-hour days for 2 years. After 2 years of this grind, I went to the Krav Maga studio owner and asked if I could implement a Youth self-defense program at their facility, which is where Fit 2 Defend Academy was born!! About a year later, the owners of the Core Martial Arts & Fitness sat me down and said “You have helped us grow our business; so we want to give you the opportunity to start your own business in our facility. This is where Fit 2 Defend Academy opened its second location focusing on Adult & Children Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. This was a very exciting and scary time in my life because I now got to focus solely on teaching and running my own academies.”

The Academy

The biggest challenge many gym owners face operating an academy is building a rapport with each of its members, assisting them with their goals and providing great experience every time they walk through the door. Coach Gave and staff’s teaching enthusiasm is the reason behind the continual growth of the “Fit 2 Defend “and its satisfied students.

Building Future Life Champions

Fit 2 Defend has a unique youth program, instructing children ages 6 years old and up. For any child participating in Martial Arts they face many challenges in their early life development. However, they also have the opportunity to unlock their full potential thus raising self-esteem and confidence to excel in their journey as martial artist and in life outside the dojo. To assure both sectors are being accounted for Gave has constructed a program that not only requires youth students to learn techniques, but also work on character traits to be eligible to excel in stripe and belt rank. The development of the child at Fit 2 Defend, also include collaborations with the parents to ensure future success. This formula has seen the flourishing of many alumni students, as they have gone on to attended college, operate their own successful businesses, and even become leaders of Fortune 500 companies.

BJJ Legends: What is the strategy you use in assisting children build their confidence and self-esteem?

Gave: I think it is very important to guide your students to have confidence in the proper areas. To be successful in building ones’ confidence or self-esteem, we must first make them realize their current strengths. Once that is established we must figure out a short-term goal, and then figure out the necessary steps for them to take in achieving their goal. Once a student can see that they can achieve even a small task, they will be more willing to take on bigger challenges.

I believe that is why Martial Arts training can be great, because those several little improvements that students see each class, we can use our influence to encourage them on their improvements in achieving their goals.

The Adult Program

Just because there is a heavy focus on the children’s program, that doesn’t exempt potential adult students in reaping the benefits of training at Fit 2 Defend. At its Libertyville location Fit 2 Defend offers adult class in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Self-Defense. In an effort to accommodate all its members Gave’s adult program supports everyone from the recreational grappling enthusiast , the individual wanting to get in shape, to the aspiring competitor looking to challenge themselves in tournaments. Now training under Jeff Serafin of Serafin Academy (Team Jackson McViker) Gave and his students have achieved great success medaling in local and international tournaments. In addition, the adult squad is an avid contributor to the Illinois community hosting various charity events, such as bowling functions supporting “Save a Pet” and food drives for “Feed My Starving Children”.

“The Adult program supports recreational and competitive students." Gave said. “We have found that as long as your academy atmosphere is built around helping each other reach their personal goals, we can easily weed out the prospects members that aren’t a good fit for the academy. We also host charity events to come together and work in our community to give back. This helps everyone feel that they are an important part our team.”

Pushing Forward

The burning desire to make a difference in student’s lives has made “Fit 2 Defend” what it is today. Using his years of knowledge and experience in Martial Arts there is a continual goal, a message that Gave works to instill in his students in taking on the daily challenges on and off the mat.

“I want my students and team members to know that they are important and they have the ability to achieve whatever they put their mind too”

Scott Gave is far from done, as he looks to accomplish more goals on an academic, personal, family, and business level all while continuing his selfless service to the Lake County area in Illinois.

"What inspires me to continue on this journey is to empower the masses of the benefits of Martial Arts, and to make people realize the potential they have within themselves. Not only do I want to empower the masses, but I also want to give my team members and surrounding academies owners the knowledge and tools to grow their academies so they can make enough income to live a healthy lifestyle and impact their members in a positive way.”

In 2014 Shama Ko was diagnosed with bilateral polymicrogyria which is usually a mentally, physically debilitating and fatal birth defect of the brain that is predominantly found in children. Only 3% of adults are diagnosed with it and is an extremely uncommon condition that usually has no symptoms in adults. Doctors discovered her condition after she had a seizure during the beginning of class at Gracie Humaita.

Shama was off the mats for a year and slowly worked to control the seizures and regain her confidence a a Jiu-Jitsu brown belt.

This weekend Shama took 2nd at the Masters World Championships.

Shama on her journey to the podium,

"All I can say is that it was a pivotal point in my life and I am so dang happy to be back in be mix. Having gone through all the crap I have in the past few years I never thought I'd train again. Competing seemed impossible. But anything is possible. Never give up.

"It was my first time at the Master Worlds and it was emotional for me. I was incredibly proud watching all the matches this weekend. 14 years ago when I started things were very different. In many ways women competitors were less respected than kids. We were grouped into one division regardless of belt, weight or age. It was the women's division. Look at us now. We've come a long way. It may not be perfect and I'm sure in areas where BJJ is growing this is still going on. But to think that there is an outlet like the Master Worlds where women can compete together with other women the same belt, skill level and age is phenomenal. We've just got to keep competing. Once promoters, media and companies see #'s the see $s. That's what it boiled down. So instead of being discouraged we need to be encouraging, supportive and keep moving forward. Change is happening. There is hope."

I want to give a shout to my teammate Erica Ebanks she has been on the podium before on the world level and came away with third in her division. She is a great teammate and a real example at our academy. Her partner Salsa John Ebanks and my instructor Fabio Novaes Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are also pictured.

Australia, one of the smallest entry numbers for country represented, came away with 7 female World Championship titles. The ladies from down under are killing it!

What helps us stay inspired is people like Sophia McDermott winning masters titles a few years back and us having access to that story (though we heard about it via her news feed). Now we continue to grow through organizations such as Australian Girls in Gis and our world titles are piling up in Masters and Adults.

The Australian scene is booming for women and this Masters Worlds showcased that yet again.

Elite Sports is rather new in the market and are looking to make a splash with their first entry, a lightweight gi advertised with pre-shrunk fabric and an anti-microbial treatment. They were kind enough to ask BJJ Legends Magazine to review one of their gis, and I chose the one in blue. I’ve been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for just over 6 years and have about a dozen gis already in rotation, but was happy to try a new product -- especially at the nominal price point of only $69.99.

All of my reviews center around 4 key attributes, followed by an overall impression of the product at the end. The attributes include:

Look: What kind of audience does this product target within the Jiu-Jitsu community and what’s unique about it? How does it look out of the box? Emotional impressions?

Craftsmanship: How well was it built? Are there any loose threads? Compare fresh out of the box and after a few washes. Does it stain easily; is it soft; durable; etc.?

Feel and Fit: How does it feel when worn and how does it fit in relation to other products, both walking around and while sparring? Is it too heavy, too light, etc.? Does shrink play a factor?

Care: How can you get the most out of your purchase and is it worth it?

REVIEW

Today, I’m reviewing the Elite Sports Ultra-Light BJJ Jiu Jitsu Gi with Pre-Shrunk Fabric - Blue. Coming in an IBJJF-legal royal blue with an orange and white color way, this kimono makes a great first impression to the eye and is incredibly inexpensive at only $69.99. Because of the entry level price point and relative newness in the market, I didn’t have high expectations for the gi. After putting it through its paces, washing over 15 times and rolling in it exclusively for almost a month, I was able to come to a rather unexpected conclusion.

Before we get into the review, here’s how the company describes the gi:• Made from a light-weight 400gsm Pearl Weave preshrunk fabric. We still recommend that you wash the gi in cold water and hang dry it.• Lightweight pants are made from 400 gsm ripstop fabric and have a rope drawstring for tightening.• Contrasting and reinforced stitching in seams and other key areas for durability and added strength.• Fabric has anti-odor and antimicrobial treatment so that you don't have to worry about bacterial buildup or fungal infections; no one else is doing that at this price.• Comes with a free white belt.

Look:

When I unboxed the gi, I found a no nonsense approach to packaging. Opening the cardboard box, the gi sat nicely therein, within its clear bag. And while it didn’t come with a gi bag, a new white belt was included and, combined with the price point, is a nice touch for new practitioners.

Pants:

The pants are a lightweight ripstop, as advertised. I appreciate a thick rope drawstring and this is no exception. While the branding is minimal on the gi overall, the Elite logo is visible on either side of the pants, stitched in nicely. With two drawstring loops on either side, I was happy with the way they were designed. Too often, I’ve found that companies either go overboard with belt loops, or make them too narrow to fit the rope comfortably. None of these issues were present on the Elite gi. As with most ripstop pants, the knees and mid-thigh are reinforced with additional quilted stitching, using an orange contrast thread. All areas that are supposed to be triple stitched – interior seams and the gusset, were done so with care. It’s also important to note that the bottom cuff is quadruple stitched for additional strength! Well done!

Jacket:

The jacket is simple, coming in at 400 gsm. I was surprised when taking it out of the packaging just how light it was. The orange contrasts are really helpful to give an entry level gi some needed pop. This is seen on the inside of the cuffs as well as in all contrast stitching, and at the splits in the skirt. At the top of the jacket, inside the back panel, Elite has added an orange logo section for an additional bit of flare. Their logo is seemingly everywhere on the jacket, however – three times on the front, stitched in with patches or embroidered along the lapel, then again on the back between the shoulder blades, embroidered in white thread. Inside, along the bottom seam of the jacket, their twin logos (with and without the phoenix design) revolves. In the way of branding, it’s a tiny bit overdone, but also confusing. Both logos are used interchangeably here but as a consumer, is there a primary logo or are both equally important? Further, on the back panel, the jacket notes that it was ‘Designed in California,’ but the front of the jacket, at the bottom of the lapel, states ‘Brazilian Design.’ Overall though, I was happy at the look of the jacket – there are no giant design flourishes and it’s simple in presentation. Tied together, the pants and jacket make a nice, clean match.

Craftsmanship:

For $69.99, I was expecting many loose threads and poor craftsmanship from Elite right out of the box. I’m happy to report that I was sorely mistaken. I couldn’t find a single loose stitch within the bunch, and the material was light, strong, and well-tailored to my needs. There is a small tag within the jacket that denotes that it was made in Pakistan – as many other gi companies are producing their products there, I was pleasantly surprised at the durability of the gi. As I stated above, I’ve worn it exclusively during my testing period and it had no issues. On the pants, I liked the extra cuff stitching and the pearl weave jacket is just as strong as the $200 gis I have hanging in my closet – and at a lower weight per gsm to boot.

Feel and Fit:

I’m 5’7”, 155 lbs without the gi and asked for an A1. Elite is using a tailored fit that hugged the inside of my underarms a bit at first, but was overall very slimming and easy to move in. The pants fit comfortably, just as any other pair of ripstop pants, and were the appropriate length. Overall, I was very impressed with the gi at unboxing and through the first large set of test cases. While it isn’t the softest gi on the market, that isn’t the demographic Elite is tailoring to. Mind you, it’s soft enough that you don’t need a rashguard underneath, especially in the summer, but after hanging the pearl weave can be a little strong until it’s broken in. If you have any questions on fit or feel, you can always call or email them from the site and ask whatever questions you might have. I also found the gi nice and durable as I’ve used it twice or three times a week since I got it and have had no issues. Additionally, the lightweight 400 gsm jacket is great for the hot, summer weather and breathes well.

It’s important to note in this section that the company specifically notes that the gi has been hit with an antimicrobial treatment so that you don’t have to worry about fungal infections or bacterial buildup. This translates, at least to me, as whether or not the gi will smell badly after a hard session and then sitting in my car during a hot afternoon (smell = bacteria). After such an event, the gi did smell like it was used, but not nearly as badly as some of my kimonos. As I shower immediately after class, I had no chance to test the antimicrobial function outside of that. For the price point though, the added peace of mind is worth it.

Care:

As with any gi, I soaked it in vinegar and water when I first received it, washed it, then hung dry it without any shrinkage whatsoever. After 10 normal washes, I decided to dry it with a machine dryer. While it is recommended on the site that you should hang dry your gi, I opted to give it the hang dry test since it’s advertised as pre-shrunk and the dryer logo is within the care instruction panel on the jacket itself.

During this wash is when I noticed fading begin to take root – nothing major, but the pop and crispness of the colors began to deteriorate. On top of that, the jacket sleeves shrunk by about half an inch. Bear in mind that I dried the gi on high heat and didn’t bother to use Permanent Press or some other low setting. I don’t believe the average consumer would need to worry about shrinkage based on normal gi care, but be prepared to see differences in fitment and color when throwing it in the dryer for an emergency wash before your next roll.

Overall:

I was pleasantly surprised by this gi, its fit and craftsmanship, and the overall durability. At such a low price point, I would definitely recommend it to new practitioners, or anyone in the market for something affordable that will hold up relatively well, so long as you don’t put too much stock in the pre-shrunk messaging. For more information on Elite Sports and their offerings, please see their web site: http://www.elitesports.com. To get directly to their gis, go to https://www.elitesports.com/brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu-bjj-gis

Imagine for a second checking your bracket at some local tournament, Pans or Worlds and you see your pastor’s name. Awkward would be an understatement, a rare occurrence would be a truly accurate assessment. A select few churchgoers have the opportunity to get their guards passed and their souls nourished by the man in the pulpit, those attending Recreation Church are the lucky ones. The pastor, Vincent Dehm, does not shy away from his love for the mat, in fact his intention is to spread the lessons learned from BJJ to the kids in the community.

Have you ever been challenged to roll by a fellow pastor or church member? Pastor Dehm: Surprisingly not, but I do joke around with members of the church and tell them, “Don’t make me put the mats down!”

How did you discover BJJ and where do you train? Pastor Dehm: I have to lay some foundation here, first off, I am not unfamiliar with the mat, my background is wrestling. I wrestled all four years of high school and two years of college. I ended up catching a knee to the temple and I sustained a brain injury that resulted in a swift end to not only wrestling, but my doctor at the time ordered a halt to all combat sports. Now fast forward 22 years later and I’m getting a check-up and the doctor asked me when I had had a heart attack and I said, “What?” I was 226lbs at the time and that was the wake-up call I needed. I went on a diet and decided to get into BJJ, I went to Crazy 88 in Elk Ridge, Md. and did a few trail classes. It has remained my grappling home ever sense, that was November, 2011.

What do you say to those who may wonder, or even ask you if it’s appropriate for a pastor to do BJJ? Pastor Dehm: That is a question I have no problem discussing. To any who say that, I simply say there is wrestling, grappling and fighting throughout the bible.

How long have you been a pastor and what led you into the ministry? Pastor Dehm: I have been a pastor since 1999. What led me into the ministry? Well, I wasn’t necessarily led, I was ‘called’ by the audible voice of God when I was 12 years old and I ran as fast and far away from that ‘calling’ as possible. Years later I chose to stop running and embrace it with an open heart and clear vision.

Where is your church located? Pastor Dehm: Recreation Church is located in Park Heights, which is approximately 6 miles northwest of downtown Baltimore.

What is the community like? Pastor Dehm: I could easily provide some attention-grabbing crime stats, or disproportionate and negative school drop-out rates, but that does not tell the entire story of any community. I will say that as a church body, along with family and friends we do our best to provide programs that result in positive empowerment and a call to action.

What exactly is the BJJ program at your church and how did you come up with it? Pastor Dehm: Honestly, I cannot take full credit, I watched an episode of ‘Rolled Up’ on Budovideos, which highlighted Fernando "Tererê" Augusto. One of the topics was his social project for kids, which without question inspired the formation of our program. We offer a 1 ½ hour class on Wednesday during the school year and then in the summer we do Mondays and Wednesdays, and it is 100% free, with snacks and meals included. I’m also proud to say the Gi’s are provided by my friend Geoffrey of Deus Fight Company, who I reached out to after I saw his merchandise/sponsorship on that episode of ‘Rolled Up.’

How many kids are involved, what is the curriculum, and who are the instructors?Pastor Dehm: To date we have 65 kids enrolled ranging from 5yrs old to 14yrs old and the curriculum is a combination of anti-bullying, self-defence and sport BJJ. Our instructors, besides myself, we have my daughter, Kayla, who is an avid competitor and a blue belt, John Johnson a purple belt from Crazy 88 and Dustin Herfurth a blue belt from Ground Control in Columbia, Md.

Have the church administrators been supportive and are there any people who take issue with the program?Pastor Dehm: Absolutely! They see the results and the enthusiasm of these kids, which is infectious. As far as haters go, there has been at least one colleague of mine who has been critical of the program, but besides him everyone is on board with what we are doing, they see the vision.

What have been some challenges you have faced? Pastor Dehm: Well, as much as I love puzzle mats, it is a lot of work and it is highly time intensive to put them together, clean them and subsequently take them apart and restore them. Staying on the subject of time, it can be difficult to coordinate the instructor’s schedules, more so during competition season, as many of us compete and we need at least two people at each class due to the amount of kids. So those are ongoing challenges, but it’s all good, we make it work.

Can you share a testimony about one of the kids in the program? Pastor Dehm: Now this could be an article all to itself, I can think of so many worth sharing. One that stands out is a 13yrs old who has Asperger’s Syndrome, his mother enrolled him with the hope that it would help with his social interactions and he has shown noticeable and progressive improvement.

How can people get involved, how can they help?Pastor Dehm: Email me at info@vincentdehm.com, and tell me what you are interested in doing, how you may want to help.

What are your personal goals with BJJ?Pastor Dehm: I want to be able to keep up with my daughter, Kayla, and ultimately see us become black belts together. I also want to share the journey with our team mates and the kids in our program who would otherwise not be in a financial position to do this great sport.

What are your long terms goals with the program? Pastor Dehm: We want to open a Recreation Center and have a full schedule of classes and activities from BJJ, Muay Thai, fitness instruction and more that will be 100% free to the Park Heights community.

Check out Pastor Dehm and make sure to pick up a copy of his latest book at www.vincentdehm.com.

Confidence, Empowerment, Influence; the key components in creating future life champions. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has served as an aid in the development of children's lives. Its influence is unparalleled, as young practitioners acquire life lessons, develop their own identity, and unlock personal strengths to tackle the many challenges they will face off the mats. Having a positive mentor makes this all possible, as it is the instructor's sworn duty to guide them through this life altering process.

Building life champions is a common custom at Brentwood BJJ. Academy head instructor, Jeremy Akin has assembled a team of his adult students as the instructors of the kids program. Each instructor brings their own unique style which not only has made the program a success, but also made the experience fun and educational for young students of all ages. "A Positive Sandwich of Knowledge", BJJ brown belt, Eron Johnsey has had a profound impact on many children's lives, which is showcased through his selfless work ethic building the program and passion for simply making a positive difference.

We here at BJJ Legends spoke with Johnsey as he gives us a crash course on developing a success kids program and change lives.

Through our journey as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioners, it takes us down different paths. Your journey took you to becoming a BJJ instructor for the youth. What inspired you to become a kids Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Instructor?

Johnsey: Competing was never huge on my priority list but I loved seeing the light bulb moment go off. Especially when it came to kids! I blame my mom for me teaching. She was a 1st grade teacher. I would always be with her in stores and hear, “Mrs. Johnsey Mrs. Johnsey! You were my favorite teacher ever!" Then they would proceed to tell her what a positive change she sparked with her kindness and for always pushing them. I thought if she could inspire them with only 1 semester I thought “What could I do with a few years of positivity?"

There is always a need for every concept in BJJ. Why do you feel the creation of a children’s BJJ program is needed?

Johnsey: Kids need BJJ for all kinds of reasons! The biggest reasons are self-defense, confidence, respect, and control. It's a great social group, positive role models, and BJJ teaches nothing beats hard work/dedication.

Creating a BJJ youth program is one thing, making it successful for both the school and the student is another. One of the biggest challenges instructors face is keeping children interested. As an instructor, how do you tackle this challenge?

Johnsey: The biggest challenge for kids BJJ are two things: creating an environment where kids want to be there every day and the parents pulling support. Problem one is when kids are pushed too hard too early or if they don't have friends within the class. BJJ is a journey not a race. Keep showing up and you will get better. I would rather have a kid enjoy BJJ and train forever over having a kid who is a rock star for six months then gets burned out. Secondly is getting the parents in a BJJ class or at least teach them about the sport. That is key to them staying involved.

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This brings me to the topic of class structure. Children’s BJJ classes are very different from an adult class structure with its mixture of fun games and instilling values such as respect and discipline. Can you share with us the class structure you use for your students that make it a fun learning environment?

Johnsey: Class structure took a long time to figure out over the five years of teaching kids. With dozens of different formats while losing a lot of kids when we switched formats just do to change

Step 1. Be consistent.

Step 2. Know your audience.

Step 3. Set short term, midterm, and long term goals

Step 4. Don't be afraid to split classes.

Step 5. Always communicate

For me these are the five steps to success with kid programs. Make it a positive environment, a healthy one, and an environment that produces kids who want to do the right thing even when people aren't looking. Put games for the little ones and quizzes for the older ones to keep their memory sharp.

You obviously have had your share of lessons you’ve learned in your BJJ journey. What are some of the lessons you use and pass along assisting children with their journey?

Johnsey: I have learned so much from BJJ but some of the most important I have learned for life are putting time into systems that work. The faster you learn to take constructive criticism the faster you will develop as a person. Together you are stronger than as individuals.

As these young practitioners evolve, take for example a once timid child transforming into a confident individual. What is it like for you seeing this transformation and how do you think it happens?

Johnsey: Positive transitions are only made by hard work and pushing through tough times! This is where it is important to constantly communicate, set goals of all lengths, and surround them with positivity. Aka "positive sandwich of knowledge." For example learning a hip escape is tough at first. So instead of saying "no that's wrong do it again" trying it like this. "So Timmy on that hip escape you got on your side perfectly. Next time when you hip escape let's try to use your toes on the mat instead of the heel of your foot okay? Your elbow being close like that is awesome!"

How has the overall experience impacted you?

Johnsey: Jiu-Jitsu has help me be a better son, a better boyfriend, a better best friend, a better person. It has taught me to talk less and listen more. It has kept me humble on and off the mats. It has taught me to "take one and leave two". To never forget where you came from. To never give up. To always keep moving forward. It has taught me how to prioritize things with "what you need" and "what you want!" It has taught me that everyone has value. It has taught me how to be a better person.

Closing this interview, for parents that are not aware, why should they get their children in Brazilian Jiu-jitu?

Johnsey: BJJ is my pick for Martial Arts for children. With kids, school is the first priority. It is a self-defense before it is a sport or competition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches you how to not only control yourself but your opponent. If all a kid know is how to kick or punch that's what will happen in a self-defense situation. It’s a big difference when you come up on a kid who is clearly in a dominant position and he is the one calling for "Help." It is a lot better than walking up on a situation, as a teacher, with a child's nose bleeding but "he was the bully." Getting suspended is not an option because you miss school. You are at school to learn! Our school is amazing because our teaching staff cares for our Jiu Jitsu community deeply. We would do anything to help them succeed on and off the mats. It is a safe place for kids to become the best version of themselves. Jiu Jitsu is just a vehicle to help them get there faster!

The Combat Club's Stars to Participate in a Study that Compares How Rice and Whey Protein can help Build and Maintain Muscle

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional athletes from many sports are competing while on a plant-protein based diet, and recent studies have shown that rice protein equals animal-based whey protein. This month, MMA fighters from Florida's Combat Club gym, including the UFC's Michael Johnson and Rashad Evans, will be participating in a new double-blind research study testing the performance of pro-athletes on rice protein versus the traditional golden standard of fitness, animal-derived whey protein. The 6-week study will be executed by sports nutrition PhD's, Dr. Douglas Kalman and Dr. Corey Peacock, researchers who have worked with Olympic athletes and teams, professional sporting teams and collegiate teams.

The new research project includes ten of the Combat Club's star fighters, some of whom are omnivores and others vegan, vegetarians or transitioning to a vegetarian diet. Below is the list of participating fighters:

Gilbert

Burns

Rashad

Evans

Jason

Jackson

Michael

Johnson

Vinicius

Maximo

Steve

Mowry

Irwin

Rivera

Chas

Skelly

Sean

Soriano

Andre

Soukhamthath

Drs. Kalman and Peacock, both respected sports nutrition and exercise physiology researchers, are associated with The International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.theissn.org), while also being academically affiliated with Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University, respectively. Drs. Kalman and Peacock have published research examining the role protein plays in an athlete's diet, health and well-being, while also examining the safety of increased protein intake.

During the project, the researchers will look to determine how plant-based protein compares to animal-based whey protein to build and maintain muscle and for any immune supportive effects for athletes who train up to three times a day. "We studied this protein in 2013 and the results showed for the first time that it equals animal-based whey protein in building and maintaining muscle," said Dr Douglas Kalman. "Another study published in 2014 found that Oryzatein® rice protein supplies the muscle building amino acid leucine to a similar degree and speed as the popular 'fast' protein whey. These studies both demonstrated the completeness of the brown rice protein isolate. Now, we hope to learn and demonstrate that this protein, as compared to whey can support the high level elite athlete that trains at a greater intensity and stress level than the typical gym goer," he continued. "As the research on brown rice protein isolate, namely Oryzatein® grows, the data supports use for the professional athlete noting that in the study, there are fighters who are already vegetarians, vegans and the others are meat eaters."

Maker of Oryzatein®, David Janow, President of Axiom Foods and Growing Naturals added: "Axiom Foods' brown rice protein ingredient is in thousands of food products with plant proteins today. Our sister company, Growing Naturals the only 90% isolate Oryzatein® rice protein supplier to pro-athletes and weekend warriors, millennials and baby boomers alike as part of its pure, non-blended rice and pea proteins and since it was used in Dr. Kalman's first study, it will be used again."

The study will be documented in a series of webisodes which follows the natural contentiousness that exists between the team's plant- and meat-eaters. The series of webisodes will air during Plant Protein Month in April 2017. Results of the study will be submitted by Drs. Kalman and Peacock along with their respective graduate students for publishing in the top sports nutrition journals.

About: Combat Club is a mixed martial arts training facility in Lantana, FL, led by head coaches: Henri Hooft (Dutch Kickboxing), Gilbert Burns (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), and Greg Jones (Wrestling). Combat Club caters to people of all levels, from beginner to pro.

About: Growing Naturals, LLC is the maker of both allergen-friendly single-source Pure Plant Protein Powders from organic brown rice and pea, plus Benefit Blends powered by Growing Naturals, featuring "one and done" formulas that provide effective solutions that simplify our daily rituals. All Growing Naturals plant proteins are FDA GRAS approved as food and the rice protein products feature Oryzatein® inside, which was clinically shown to be the first plant protein to equal animal-based whey protein in building and maintaining muscle. Oryzatein® was also shown to absorb Leucine, the key muscle building amino acid, faster than in whey, which is believed to help rice protein still act like a complete protein.